Medieval Europe

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Medieval Europe

• AKA the Middle Ages
• AKA the Dark Ages

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In a nutshell
Maintains a strong central government
Struggles to reestablish a strong central
government
Roman Empire
Eastern Byzantine Empire
Western Roman Empire
Overrun by barbarians in 476AD.
Constantinople replaces Rome as the
worlds wealthiest city
Includes Italy, Gaul Britain and Spain.
Dark Ages
Resists barbarian invasions
Eastern Orthodox Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Roman Empire split between east and west 395AD
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• The Systems fell apart or collapsed
• The political System fell
• The Economic system fell
• The Social System fell
• The Belief system didnt fall it Reorganized

Rome Falls

• What do we mean when we say that Rome fell?
• Did it fall like a person falls?
• Where did it go?
• How much of it fell?
• Who caused it to fall?
• Did it stay fallen?

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The Middle Ages
Western Europe
Crusades
Renaissance
Dark Manors Feudalism
Trade Towns
Chaos
476
1400s
Dark Ages
Timeline
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With the fall of ROMEthe lights go out.

• Germanic invasion destroyed most of the
  accomplishments of the Romans.
• Trade and transportation disappeared
• The system of Law and Order collapsed
• Economy based upon a common currency (money)
  dissolved. Europeans took a step backwards from a
  cash to a barter economy.

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Pay attention !!!

• Are you writing this stuff down?

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Enter the M EROVINGIAN Kings

• The Merovingian Kings ruled the most powerful of
  the Germanic groups, the Franks.
• These Frankish Kings controlled what is now
  France and Western Germany.
• The first of the Merovingian Kings was Clovis.
• Fifteen years after becoming King, Clovis
  converted to Catholicism/Christanity.

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The decline of the Merovingian Kings

• Rivalries between heirs to the Frankish throne
  caused the decline and end of the Merovingian
  monarchy.
• The important thing is that the link between the
  Germanic kings and the Catholic (Universal)
  Christain Church was established.

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Mayors of the Palace

• To prevent further fragmentation of the kingdom,
  the kings established the Mayors of the Palace.
• These government officials were responsible for
  running the kingdom.

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Charles Martel

• In 732, Charles Martel as Mayor of the Palace
  lead a successful defense against Muslim invasion
  at the Battle of Tours.
• Christian Europe was saved and Martel was
  promoted.
• In 752 Charles Martels son Pepin the Short was
  named and anointed king by the Pope.

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Charlemagne

• Pepins son became king in 768. Charlemagne
  (Charles the Great) became the first of the
  Carolingian Kings.

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Charlemagnes Accomplishments

• Established the Frankish Empire.
• Encouraged learning in Europe.
• Defended Pope Leo III against rebellious nobles
  in Rome.
• Revived the idea of a unified Christian Church
  and Empire.

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Life in Medieval Europe
Feudalism
Manoralism
The Catholic Church
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Life in Medieval Europe
Feudalism (Political)
Manoralism (Economic)
The Catholic Church (Social and Belief)
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Life in Medieval Europe

• Political systems determine who makes the major
  decisions.
• Economic systems determine how goods are
  distributed (who gets what and how much).
• Belief and Social systems determine what beliefs
  and values are promoted (how people should live).

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Political System

• Feudal society was ruled by the hierarchy to the
  right.
• A hierarchy is a system of ranking that
  determines importance, value or power and ranges
  from least to most

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The Manorial / economic system

• The manorial system was also based on a rigid
  fixed hierarchy. Each group had a specific job
  and duties. All goods were produced and consumed
  in the same estate (manor).

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The manor self-contained and self-sufficient
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Belief System

• During the Middle Ages, the Christian Church
  spilt in to two distinct branches, the Orthodox
  Christian Church (in the East) and the Roman
  Catholic Church (in the West).
• While Western Europe experienced the Middle
  (Dark) Ages, The Byzantine Empire continued in
  the East.

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The Roman Catholic Church hierarchy

• The Pope
• Archbishops
• Bishops
• Local Priests

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The role of the Church

• Secular (worldly or non-sacred) Role
• The Church gained wealth through the tithe and
  became the largest land holder in Europe.
• The Church also controlled education.
• Criticizing the Church was considered the capital
  crime of heresy.

• Spiritual Role
• Priests instructed the people in the Faith and
  acceptable behavior.
• Heaven, Hell and Excommunication (expulsion from
  the Church) guaranteed the compliance of church
  rules.

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How religion can Power

• The Sacraments of the Catholic Church
• Baptism
• Communion
• Marriage
• Holy Orders
• Last Rites

• The Church had the authority to administer or
  withhold the sacraments.
• The Church therefore had the power to decide who
  could marry whom and who could practice religion.

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Political Power of the Church

• The Church created secular laws called Cannon
  laws and established its own court system.
• Sometimes monarchs refused to recognize the
  Church's authority.
• In 1200s Pope Innocent III excommunicated King
  John of England.

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The growth of Anti-Semitism

• The Church banned Jewish people from owning land
  or practicing many occupations.
• Jewish people were also blamed for many
  misfortunes including famines and diseases.
• Jewish people were persecuted because many
  Christians blamed them for the death of Jesus
  Christ.

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The Crusades

• In 1050s, the Turks who were Muslims invaded the
  Byzantine Empire and conquered Palestine. The
  Christine Church called for a holy war to drive
  the Muslims from the Palestine. These war were
  known as the Crusades.

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The Crusades 200 year war

• 1. The Turks invaded Palestine in 1050
• 2. Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont
  encouraged all Christians to reclaim the Holy
  Land.

• Initially (at first) the Christians were
  successful and captured the city of Jerusalem in
  1099.
• The Crusaders divided the conquered lands into
  four Crusader states.

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Crusades

• Muslim victory of commander Saladin.
• Saladin united the Muslims and the recaptured
  Palestine (the Christian Holy Land).
• The Crusaders in Jerusalem surrender.
• Unlike the Crusaders who massacred Muslims and
  Jewish people years earlier, Saladin commanded
  his soldiers not to kill or massacre the
  Christians.

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Crusades

• Richard the Lion-Hearted, King of England led the
  Third Crusade in 1189.
• Although he won several victories, his armies
  were unable to recapture Jerusalem.

• The Crusades fizzled out.
• The Fourth Crusade was likewise unsuccessful.
• Later Muslims recaptured the last Crusader states
  in 1291 and massacred its Christian inhabitants

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The Crusades are important Why?

• The Crusades left behind a legacy of hatred and
  revenge between Christians and Muslims.
• The Crusades encouraged trade that introduced new
  goods to western Europe building up the Merchant
  class.
• The Crusades also encouraged learning and exposed
  the Europeans to advances made in the East math
  , science, literature and the arts.

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The Crusades

• Because of its results, the Crusades are often
  called the most successful war that was ever lost.

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Cause and effect of the Crusades
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Assessment of Learning/Homework

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